Photographic light-sensitive material

ABSTRACT

A photographic light-sensitive material is described comprising at least one hydrophilic colloidal layer containing a hardener and further containing as an acid-captor at least one compound represented by formula (I) or (II): ##STR1## wherein R 1  represents hydrogen, a lower alkyl group containing 5 or less carbon atoms, an alkoxy group containing 5 or less carbon atoms, or a halogen atom, and R 2  and R 3  each independently represents hydrogen, an alkyl group containing 10 or less carbon atoms, an aryl group containing from 6 to 12 carbon atoms, or an alkoxycarbonyl group containing 5 or less carbon atoms.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a photographic light-sensitive materialand, more particularly, to a silver halide photograhic light-sensitivematerial.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Photographic light-sensitive materials generally comprise, for example,a silver halide photographic light-sensitive emulsion layer, anemulsion-protecting layer, a filter layer, an interlayer, anantihalation layer, a backing layer, a film base-undercoating layer, abaryta layer, a film support, and so forth.

These layers, except for the film support, usually contain a hydrophiliccolloid, such as gelatin, as a carrier.

These light-sensitive materials containing a hydrophilic colloid(hereinafter the hydrophilic colloid is described by referring to"gelatin," which is a typical example thereof) are processed withvarious aqueous solutions differing in pH and/or temperature. However,the gelatin layer has a poor water resistance, and hence it has atendency to swell so much in the aqueous solution that its mechanicalstrength is reduced, and, in an extreme case, it will be dissolved intothe processing solution. This is a fatal defect as a layer constitutinga photographic light-sensitive material.

It is well known to use compound for forming cross-linkages, called"hardeners," so as to improve the physical properties of gelatin.

Many compounds have been proposed as hardeners, such as, for example,aldehydes, active halogens, aziridines, epoxides, alkanesulfonic acidesters, active vinyl compounds, dehydrating condensers (e.g.,dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, etc.), and the like.

However, these compounds are not fully suitable as hardeners forphotographic light-sensitive materials.

For example, aldehydes cause fogging of light-sensitive nuclei due totheir reducing properties. Aziridine compounds cause serious problems intheir production or application due to their detrimental actions on thehuman body. Other compounds also impose various restrictions due to poorstability, difficulty in preparation, etc. Thus, there are notnecessarily many practically valuable hardeners.

It is well known that active halogen compounds, such as methanesulfonicacid esters, active vinyl group-containing compounds, active carboxylicacid esters, and the like, are comparatively advantageous. For example,dichlorotriazine, described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,287, methanesulfonicacid esters described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,902, vinylsulfonylgroup-containing compounds described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,911 andGerman Pat. application (OLS) No. 2,749,260, active esters described inU.S. Pat. No. 3,542,558, and the like are fairly good hardeners.

However, the hardeners described here are only one of many additivesused in photographic light-sensitive materials, which typically includecomplicated combinations of numerous components.

That is, photographic light-sensitive materials are constituted bycombinations of many additives such as silver halide emulsions, chemicalsensitizers, optical sensitizers, antifogging agents, surfactants, colorformers, etc., and thus even slight environmental changes can often leadto serious deterioration of important properties.

Hardeners have heretofore been used as necessary ingredients forphotographic light-sensitive materials, but even the few good hardenersas described above cause a reduction in the pH with the progress ofcross-linking reaction which is the essential characteristic of suchhardeners. In fact, measurement of pH of the film reveals that all ofthe foregoing hardeners reduce pH.

Hardeners in the photographic light-sensitive materials which react withan amino group of gelatin in conventional pH ranges may, though quiterarely, react with a carboxy group of gelatin to increase pH in theextremely low pH range (e.g., pH of 2 to 3).

This reduction in pH exerts serious influences on the properties ofphotographic light-sensitive materials. The most serious of these arereduction in sensitivity, which is of critical importance inphotographic light-sensitive materials, and regression of latent imagebecome more by the reduction in pH. It is not a fundamental solution tothese problems to raise the initial pH in order to avoid the reductionin sensitivity and regression of latent image caused by the reduction inpH with the lapse of time, because raising the pH initially causes anincrease in fogging and a deterioration of color image preservability.

In addition, the reduction in the pH with the progress of thecross-linking reaction delays the hardening reaction itself, thuscausing so-called "post hardening", which is a change in film propertiesdue to hardening over a long period of time, and causes a reduction inattained hardness, apparently due to self-catalytic action ofdeterioration of the hardener.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As a result of many investigations on the above-described problems withthe hydrophilic colloidal layers of photographic light-sensitivematerials resulting from the reduction in pH, it has now been discoveredthat these problems can be solved by using as a hardener at least onecompound represented by the formula (I) or (II): ##STR2## wherein R₁represents hydrogen, a lower alkyl group containing 5 or less carbonatoms (e.g., a methyl group, an ethyl group, or the like), an alkoxygroup containing 5 or less carbon atoms (e.g., a methoxy group, anethoxy group, or the like), or a halogen atom (e.g., Cl, Br, or thelike), and R₂ and R₃ each independently represents hydrogen, an alkylgroup containing 10 or less carbon atoms (e.g., a methyl group, a butylgroup, or the like), an aryl group containing from 6 to 12 carbon atoms(e.g., a phenyl group, or the like), or an alkoxycarbonyl groupcontaining 5 or less carbon atoms.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The compounds represented by the general formula (I) can be in a formwherein separate charges exist as represented by formula (IA), viz.,##STR3##

This indicates that the compounds of this invention can function as acaptor for organic or inorganic acids, as illustrated in formula (IB),##STR4## wherein X.sup.⊖ represents an acid anion.

In fact, Chemistry Letters (1976), pp. 13-14 reports that such compoundsfunction as an acid captor (also referred to as the acid-capturingcompound).

As has been described hereinbefore, photographic light-sensitivematerials are of an extremely complicated nature, and, although manyphenomena in such systems are not well understood, the effect of thiscompound discovered in this invention seems to result from anacid-capturing action.

In addition, there are several other advantages, which may be attributedto the acid-capturing (pH-maintaining) action, such as: (1) thecross-linking rate of the hardener is improved, thus controlling changeof the hardening reaction over the lapse of a long period of time,so-called post hardening; and (2) the efficiency of the hardeningreaction is improved, by preventing the self-catalytic deterioration dueto change in pH.

Some of acid-capturing compounds used in this invention are known andthe others are novel, and can be readily synthesized according to theconventional processes disclosed, for example, in J. Amer. Chem. Soc.,Vol. 74, pp. 5491-5497 (1952).

As far as is known, no utility of the above compounds has been reportedyet.

Examples of the compounds that can be used in this invention, andexamples for synthesizing said compounds, will be described below which,however, are not intended to limit the invention in any way. ##STR5##

SYNTHESIS EXAMPLE 1 Synthesis of Compound 1

4.7 g of 2-aminopyridine, 5.5 g of ethyl acrylate, and 0.1 g oft-butylcatechol were heated for 8 hours in a steam bath. After thereaction, the reaction product was dissolved in methanol and, afterdecoloring with active carbon, the product was concentrated underreduced pressure until crystals began to be formed, followed by addingligroin thereto to precipitate crystals. The crystals were collected byfiltration and dried to obtain 4.2 g (yield: 57%) of the crystals. m.p.186°-187° C.

SYNTHESIS EXAMPLE 2 Synthesis of Compound 3

14.4 g of 2-aminopyridine, 22.7 g of α-bromoacrylic acid, and 0.8 g oft-butylcatechol were dissolved in 220 ml of chloroform while heating,followed by refluxing for 12 hours while heating. After cooling thereaction mixture, the reaction product was collected by filtration andrecrystallized from ethanol. 15.2 g of the thus obtained2H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-one hydrobromide was dissolved in 50 ml ofwater and neutralized with a sodium hydroxide solution. The resultingsolution was concentrated to dryness, followed by extracting with amixed solvent of chloroform and ethanol. After being concentrated, theextract was cooled to obtain 8.2 g of crystals. m.p. 248°-250° C.

The acid-capturing compound used in this invention can be added in thehydrophilic colloical layer comprising a hardener and/or the layeradjacent thereto, and it can preferably be added in the hydrophiliccolloidal layer comprising a hardener.

The amount of the acid-capturing compound used according to theinvention is selected according to the end-use. Usually, they can beused in amounts ranging from about 0.01 to 20 wt%, based on the totalweight of dry gelatin in the photographic material. Particularlypreferably, the acid-capturing compounds are used in amounts rangingfrom 0.1 to 10 wt%. If the amount of the compound of the presentinvention exceeds 20 wt% based on the total weight of dry gelatin in thephotographic material, they will be dissolved away upon processing ordeteriorate adhesion resistance. On the other hand, if the amount isless than 0.01 wt%, the resulting effect will be insufficient.

The compounds of the present invention may be used alone or incombination. Where the compounds of the invention are used incombination, the proportion is again selected according to the end-useof intended effects.

The hydrophilic colloidal layer of the invention contains an inorganicor organic hardener. For example, there can be used, alone or incombination, chromium salts (e.g., chromium alum, chromium acetate,etc.), N-methylol compounds (e.g., dimethylolurea,methyloldimethylhydantoin, etc.), dioxane derivatives (e.g.,2,3-dihydroxydioxane, etc.), active vinyl compounds (e.g.,1,3,5-triacryloylhexahydro-s-triazine, bis(vinylsulfonyl)methyl ether,etc.), active halogen compounds (e.g.,2,4-dichloro-6-hydroxy-s-triazine, etc.), mucohalogenic acids (e.g.,mucochloric acid, mucophenoxychloric acid, etc.), isoxazoles,dialdehydostarch, 2-chloro-6-hydroxytriazinylated gelatin, and the like.Specific examples thereof are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,870,354,2,080,019, 2,726,162, 2,870,013, 2,983,611, 2,992,109, 3,047,394,3,057,723, 3,103,437, 3,321,313, 3,325,287, 3,362,827, 3,490,911,3,539,644, 3,543,292, 3,834,902, British Pat. Nos. 676,628, 825,544,1,270,578, West German Pat. Nos. 872,153, 1,090,427, West German patentapplication (OLS) No. 2,749,260, Japanese Patent Publication Nos.7133/59, 1872/71, etc.

The hardener is typically used in the photographic light-sensitivematerials of the invention in amounts ranging from 0.01 to 20 wt%,particularly preferably 0.1 to 10 wt%, based on the weight of thegelatin.

A typical example of a binder forming the hydrophilic colloidal layer towhich the compound of this invention is applied is gelatin. As for thegelatin, any of the so-called alkali-processed (or lime-processed)gelatins (i.e., those having been processed in an alkali bath beforebeing extracted), acid-processed gelatins (i.e., those having beendipped in an acid bath), and enzyme-processed gelatins, as described inBull. Soc. Sci. Photo. Japan, No. 16, p. 30 (1966), can be used.Furthermore, the compounds of the invention can be applied to lowmolecular gelatin, prepared by heating gelatin in a water bath or byacting thereon with protease to partly hydrolyze the gelatin.

The gelatin to which the compound of the invention is applied may, ifdesired, by partly replaced by colloidal albumin, casein, cellulosederivatives (e.g., carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose,etc.), sugar derivatives (e.g., agar-agar, sodium alginate, starchderivatives, etc.), synthetic hydrophilic colloids (e.g., polyvinylalcohol, poly-N-vinylpyrrolidone, polyacrylic acid copolymer,polyacrylamide or the derivative or partly hydrolyzed product thereof.In addition, the gelatin may be replaced by so-called gelatinderivatives, i.e., gelatin processed and modified with a reagent havinga group capable of reacting with the functional groups contained ingelatin molecula (i.e., amino groups, imino group, hydroxy groups, orcarboxy groups), or by a graft polymer prepared by grafting a molecularchain of another high molecular substance onto gelatin.

As for the gelatin derivatives, those that can be used include gelatinderivatives prepared by reacting gelatin with, for example, acidhalides, acid anhydrides, isocyanates, bromoacetic acid, alkanesultones,vinylsulfonamides, maleinamides, maleinimides described in U.S. Pat. No.3,186,846, acrylonitriles as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,594,293,polyalkyleneoxides described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,553, epoxy compoundsdescribed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 26845/67, acid esters asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,763,639, alkanesultones described inBritish Pat. No. 1,033,189, and the like.

As to the branch high polymers to be grafted on gelatin, manydescriptions are given in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,763,625, 2,831,767,2,956,884, Polymer Letters, 5, 595 (1967), Phot. Sci. Eng., 9, 148(1965), J. Polymer Sci., A-1, 9, 3199 (1971), and the like, Homopolymersor copolymers of those which are generally called vinyl monomers, suchas acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, ester, amide or nitrile derivativesthereof, styrene, etc., can be used.

A silver halide emulsion used according to this invention is typicallyprepared by mixing a solution of a water-soluble silver salt (e.g.,silver nitrate, etc.) with a solution of water-soluble halide (e.g.,potassium bromide, etc.) in the presence of a solution of awater-soluble high polymer such as gelatin. As the silver halide, mixedsilver halides such as silver chlorobromide, silver bromoiodide, silverchlorobromoiodide, etc., may be used, as well as silver chloride andsilver bromide.

These silver halide grains may be of cubic form, octahedral form, or themixed form thereof. Particle size and mean particle size distribution ofthe grains are not particularly limited and may be freely selected.

Various additives known in the art can be used in the above-describedsilver halide emulsion.

For example, gold compounds such as chloroauric acid salts, auricchloride, etc., salts of noble metals such as platinum, rhodium,palladium, iridium, etc., sulfur compounds, stannous salts, amines, andthe like can be used as chemical sensitizers; cyanines, merocyanines,and carbocyanines can be used as spectral sensitizers; heterocycliccompounds including 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-1,3,3a,7-tetrazaindene,3-methylbenzothiazole, 1-phenyl-5-mercaptotetrazole, etc.,mercury-containing compounds, mercapto compounds, metal salts, etc., canbe used as antifogging agents; and 4-equivalent diketomethylene seriesyellow couplers, 2-equivalent diketomethylene series yellow couplers, 4-or 2-equivalent pyrazolone series magenta couplers or indazole seriesmagenta couplers, α-naphtholic cyan couplers, phenolic cyan couplers,etc., can be used as color couplers.

In the silver halide emulsion layers and other hydrophilic colloidallayers, surfactants, matting agents, dyes, polymer latexes, etc., whichare typically employed in photographic materials can also be used.

As a surfactant, natural surfactants (e.g., saponin, etc.), nonionicsurfactants of alkylene oxide series, glycerol series or glycidolseries, cationic surfactants (e.g., higher alkylamines, quaternaryammonium salts, heterocyclic compounds (e.g., pyridine, etc.),phosphoniums or sulfoniums, etc., anionic surfactants having acidicgroup such as carboxylic acid group, sulfonic acid group, phosphoricacid group, sulfuric ester group, phosphoric ester group, etc., andamphoteric surfactants (e.g., amino acids, aminosulfonic acids,aminoalcohol esters of sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid, etc., can beused. As the matting agent, water-insoluble particles of organic orinorganic compounds, such as polymethyl methacrylate particles orsilicon dioxide particles having a mean particle size of 0.2μ to 10μ,can be used. As the polymer latex, water-dispersible vinyl compounds,such as alkyl acrylate, can be used.

The use of the above-described additives to the silver halidephotographic light-sensitive material of the invention and processes forpreparing them are described, for example, in Research Disclosure, Vol.176, pp. 22-31 (Dec., 1978).

The invention will now be described in more detail by the followingexamples of preferred embodiments of the present invention which,however, do not limit the invention in any way.

EXAMPLE 1

To a gelatin aqueous solution containing 70 g of dry gelatin in 1 literof the solution, an acid-capturing compound of the invention and thehardener were added as shown below, and uniformly coated in a drythickness of about 6μ on an undercoated polyethylene terephthalatesupport, and dried to prepare samples. These samples were left whilemaintaining at 25° C. and in humidity of 50% RH and, after the first,seventh and fourteenth days after the coating, respective samples weretaken out to measure the swelling ratio (Q) in 25° C. water determinedaccording to the following formula: ##EQU1##

Also, each sample was dipped in water, a needle with a steel ball of 0.4mm in radius at the tip was pressed against the sample surface, and theload to the needle was continuously changed from 0 to 200 g while movingthe needle at a velocity of 2.5 mm/sec on the sample film in a paralleldirection, thus determining the needle load at which flaws form on thesurface of the sample. Results thus obtained are shown in Table 1.

In Table 1, compounds (a) and (b) are those specified below:

Compound (a): 2,4-Dichloro-6-hydroxy-s-triazine sodium salt

Compound (b): CH₂ ═CH--SO₂ --CH₂ CH₂ CH₂.SO₂ CH═CH₂

As will be seen from the results of Table 1, the acid-capturingcompounds of the invention improve the cross-linking rate of thehardener without inhibiting its ability to harden gelatin film withinthe swelling range acceptable for photographic materials, and do notcause changes in the degree of hardening with the lapse of time, i.e.,so-called post hardening.

                  TABLE 1                                                         ______________________________________                                                                             Flaw-                                                                         Resisting                                                                     Strength                                                  Amount              (7 days                                  Sam-             Added    Swelling Degree                                                                          after                                    ple              (mmol/g- 1    7    14   coating)                             No.  Compound    gelatin) Day  Days Days (g)                                  ______________________________________                                        1    Control     0        1,000                                                                              1,000                                                                              1,000                                                                               7                                   2    Compound (a)                                                                              0.05                                                                                   540  380  350  107                                       Compound (1)                                                                              0.33                                                         3    Compound (a)                                                                              0.05                                                                                   595  395  355  101                                       Compound (3)                                                                              0.33                                                         4    Compound (b)                                                                              0.05                                                                                   435  335  320  120                                       Compound (1)                                                                              0.33                                                         5    Compound (b)                                                                              0.05                                                                                   485  350  325  109                                       Compound (3)                                                                              0.33                                                         6    Compound (a)                                                                              0.05     850  500  340   72                                  7    Compound (b)                                                                              0.05     695  450  320   83                                  ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 2

To a high speed negative photographic emulsion prepared in aconventional manner and containing 120 g gelatin and 65 g silverbromoiodide per kg of the emulsion, a compound of the invention and ahardener were added as shown in the following table, and uniformlycoated to form a dry thickness of 10μ on an undercoated cellulosetriacetate film and dried to prepare samples.

Then, after being left for 7 days at room temperature, each sample wassubjected to the measurement of swelling ratio in 25° C. water in thesame manner as in Example 1. The thus obtained film samples weresensitometrically exposed to a step wedge, developed at 20° C. for 8minutes using a D-76 (a prescription published by Eastman Kodak, Co.)developer, fixed, washed, dried, and subjected to sensitometry todetermine sensitivity and fog (Table 2).

As compared with the samples containing only the hardener, the samplesin accordance with this invention attained a stable swelling ratio in ashorter time, thus remarkably improving the so-called post hardeningproperties.

As will be seen from Table 2, the samples obtained according to thepresent invention suffered less change in relative sensitivity and fogunder various temperature and humidity conditions than the samplescontained only the hardener or with other combinations, thus showingwell-balanced photographic properties for materials according to thisinvention.

                                      TABLE 2                                     __________________________________________________________________________                     Photographic Properties                                                              Under                                                             Amount                                                                             Immediately                                                                          Accelerating                                                                          Swelling                                                  Added                                                                              after  Conditions                                                                            Ratio                                         Sample      (mmol/g-                                                                           Coating                                                                              (50° C.,2 days)                                                                after                                         No. Compound                                                                              gelatin)                                                                           *1  Fog                                                                              *1   Fog                                                                              7 Days                                        __________________________________________________________________________    8   Control 0    100 0.05                                                                             100  0.10                                                                             945                                           9   Compound (a)                                                                          0.05                                                                               94  0.05                                                                             93   0.06                                                                             365                                               Compound (1)                                                                          0.33                                                              10  Compound (a)                                                                          0.05                                                                               93  0.06                                                                             92   0.07                                                                             385                                               Compound (3)                                                                          0.33                                                              11  Compound (b)                                                                          0.05                                                                               94  0.05                                                                             93   0.07                                                                             330                                               Compound (1)                                                                          0.33                                                              12  Compound (a)                                                                          0.05 88  0.04                                                                             87   0.05                                                                             495                                           13  Compound (b)                                                                          0.05 90  0.05                                                                             89   0.07                                                                             440                                           __________________________________________________________________________     *1 Relative sensitivity.                                                 

EXAMPLE 3

A silver bromoiodide emulsion containing 3.0 mol% silver iodide wasprepared and subjected to after ripening in the presence of sodiumthiosulfate and a gold salt, so as to obtain a high speed negativeemulsion having maximum sensitivity

This emulsion was mixed with a coupler emulsion prepared by dissolving1-(2',4',6'-trichlorophenyl)-3-[3"-(2'",4'"-di-t-amylphenoxyacetamido)benzamido]-5-pyrazolonein a mixture of dibutyl phthalate and tricresyl phosphate andemulsifying and dispersing the resulting solution in a gelatin solutionas an oil in water emulsion using sorbitan monolaurate, sulfonated oil,and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate as a dispersing and emulsifyingagent. Then, an acid-capturing compound of this invention and thehardener were added thereto as shown in Table 3, and uniformly coated toform a dry thickness of about 10μ on an undercoated cellulose triacetatebase to obtain a color film for experimental use having a single magentalayer.

This experimental color film was sensitometrically exposed to a stepwedge and subjected to color development using4-amino-3-methyl-N-ethyl-β-hydroxyethylaniline sesquisulfonatemonohydrate as a developing agent to examine coloration propertiesthrough sensitometry in a manner similar to Example 2 of British PatentApplication No. 2,029,977A. Density of the magenta dye thus formed wasmeasured (at 547 nm) and relative values of the sensitivity expressed interms of exposure amount providing an optical density of fog+0.2 aretabulated in Table 3. Also, the swelling ratio in 25° C. water wasmeasured in the same manner as in Example 1 after leaving each samplefor seven days at room temperature.

                  TABLE 3                                                         ______________________________________                                                                  Swelling                                                             Photographic                                                                             Ratio                                                              Properties (7 days                                           Sample            Amount        Relative                                                                              after                                 No.   Compound    Added    Fog  Sensitivity                                                                           coating)                              ______________________________________                                                          (mmol/g-                                                                      gelatin)                                                    14    Control     0        0.20 100     900                                   15    Compound (a)                                                                              0.05                                                                                   0.20 99      235                                         Compound (1)                                                                              0.33                                                        16    Compound (b)                                                                              0.05                                                                                   0.20 99      210                                         Compound (1)                                                                              0.33                                                        17    Compound (a)                                                                              0.05     0.19 97      280                                   18    Compound (b)                                                                              0.05     0.19 98      265                                   ______________________________________                                    

As will be seen from Table 3, the samples obtained according to thisinvention suffered less change in relative sensitivity and fog than thesamples hardened singly with the hardener or by other combination, thusshowing well-balanced photographic properties without inhibitingcolor-forming properties of the coupler and without forming colorstains.

While the invention has been described in detail and with reference tospecific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in theart that various changes and modifications can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A photographic light-sensitive materialcomprising at least one hydrophilic colloidal layer containing ahardener, and further containing as an acid-captor at least one compoundrepresented by formula (I) of formula (II): ##STR6## wherein R₁represents hydrogen, a lower alkyl group containing 5 or less carbonatoms, an alkoxy group containing 5 or less carbon atoms, or a halogenatom, and R₂ and R₃ each independently represents hydrogen, an alkylgroup containing 10 or less carbon atoms, an aryl group containing from6 to 12 carbon atoms, or an alkoxycarbonyl group containing 5 or lesscarbon atoms.
 2. A photographic light-sensitive material containing anacid-capturing compound as in claim 1, wherein R₁ is a methyl group, anethyl group, a methoxy group, an ethoxy group, Cl or Br, and R₂ and R₃each independently represents a methyl group, a butyl group, or a phenylgroup.
 3. A photographic light-sensitive material comprising at leastone hydrophilic layer containing a hardener, an acid-capturing agentconsisting of at least one compound represented by formula (I): ##STR7##wherein R₁ represents hydrogen, a lower alkyl group containing 5 or lesscarbon atoms, an alkoxy group containing 5 or less carbon atoms, or ahalogen atom, and R₂ and R₃ each independently represents hydrogen, analkyl group containing 10 or less carbon atoms, an aryl group containingfrom 6 to 12 carbon atoms, or an alkoxycarbonyl group containing 5 orless carbon atoms.
 4. A photographic light-sensitive material comprisingat least one hydrophilic layer containing a hardener, an acid-capturingagent consisting of at least one compound represented by formula (II):##STR8## wherein R₁ represents hydrogen, a lower alkyl group containing5 or less carbon atoms, an alkoxy group containing 5 or less carbonatoms, or a halogen atom, and R₂ and R₃ each independently representshydrogen, an alkyl group containing 10 or less carbon atoms, an arylgroup containing from 6 to 12 carbon atoms, or an alkoxycarbonyl groupcontaining 5 or less carbon atoms.
 5. A photographic light-sensitivematerial as in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the amount of theacid-capturing agent is in the range of from about 0.01 to 20 wt%, basedon the total weight of dry gelatin.
 6. A photographic light-sensitivematerial as in claim 5, wherein the amount of acid-capturing agent is inthe range of from 0.1 to 10 wt%.
 7. A photographic light-sensitivematerial as in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein said hydrophilic colloidlayer is gelatin.
 8. A photographic light-sensitive material as in claim5, wherein said hydrophilic colloid layer is gelatin.
 9. A photographiclight-sensitive material as in claim 6, wherein said hydrophilic colloidlayer is gelatin.